If National Hockey League players aren’t given permission by the league to attend next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there’s no need for Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson to ask his team’s owner for permission to suit up for Sweden. It won’t happen.

Asked by Postmedia if he would allow Karlsson to go to the Olympics — and the Senators’ star defenceman has never indicated publicly he would request permission to go — Melnyk put the hammer down right away.

“No, no, it would be no, a flat no,” Melnyk said. “I talked to (former Senators captain Daniel) Alfredsson about it and he understands the player would want to (attend), but I’m not going to risk that.”

Melnyk pointed to the 2005-06 season, when the Senators lost goaltender Dominik Hasek to a mysterious adductor injury after he was hurt while playing for the Czech Republic in the Turin Winter Olympics.

Hasek never returned to the net and the Senators lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Sabres with Ray Emery in net.

“I had a Cup in 2006 parked for me and waiting for me,” Melnyk said. “We were arguing about whose name was going to go on the (Cup). We were there and what happens? Hasek. I’m not going to do that.

“Can you imagine if (Karlsson) goes and he gets a permanent injury? You know what I’m saying? That’s my view,” Melnyk said.

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has indicated he wouldn’t stand in the way of captain Alex Ovechkin if he wanted to try to win gold with Russia even if the league doesn’t agree to send players.

“Good, go ahead, wait until you’re going into the Stanley Cup final or you’ve got a hot team or you’re favoured for the Stanley Cup and Ovechkin is gone,” Melnyk said. “Go to (Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey) Price. He gets hurt< what happens to the Canadiens?”

Deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly indicated such decisions might be up to individual owners once the league has ruled on whether it will participate in the 2018 Olympics or not.

“We’ve started giving some to thought to that. It’s certainly not an issue that we have to resolve today,” Daly said. “I would be surprised if we allowed it to be club-by-club issue at this point. I think there will be a league response.”

At this point, it doesn’t sound as if NHL players will participate in the 2018. The idea hasn’t been ruled out, but the clock is ticking and nobody is optimistic it will happen.

A GOOD RIVALRY

The Senators and Montreal Canadiens have faced each other in the playoffs twice and that’s why this is a good rivalry.

Now the Senators and Habs will face each other in back-to-back weekend games that will go a long way in determining first place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division.

“It’s a great rivalry and it keeps getting better,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said. “Usually it’s a playoff series or two that can make it more intense. We’ve won one and we’ve lost one, so the rivalry is pretty solid. We like that because it makes for a better hockey game.”

Molson noted that his club’s long playoff history with the Boston Bruins was a big reason why that rivalry was so strong.

“We have a massive rivalry with the Boston Bruins and it just so happens I think we’ve played them 30 times in the 100-year history of the NHL,” Molson said. “That rivalry is intense and I think we’re building one with the Senators.”

OFF TO SWEDEN

Karlsson, who was born in Gothenburg, should get a chance to play in Sweden next season even if he doesn’t get the chance to play for his country in the Olympics.

League sources say paperwork is being finalized and the Senators will likely face the Colorado Avalanche in two regular-season games at Globen Arena in Stockholm.

This time, the Senators won’t open the season in Sweden, but rather will head over in early November for the two games, and there will be a short break when they return.

The Senators last went overseas in 2008, when they faced off against Karlsson’s former Frolunda team in a preseason contest in Alfredsson’s hometown, then faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in two games to open the regular season.

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